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Q&A Sept/Oct 2008 – Postcard from the Big Easy
American Correctional Association President Gary D. Maynard, M.S., talked about his tenure at the head of the national organization during an interview with Correctional News at the ACA 2008 congress in New Orleans.
Maynard has served as president of the 22,000-member American Correctional Association since 2006 following his election to the post of president-elect in 2004. With a background in counseling psychology, Maynard has more than 35 years of experience in the corrections field, serving as director of the Department of Corrections in Iowa, Oklahoma and South Carolina.
Q: What is the role of the ACA?
A: The ACA, and prior to that as the American Prison Association, we have a history that dates back to 1870, a history that includes great leaders like former President Rutherford B. Hayes, who also served as president of this organization. As an organization, we have always focused on bringing together administrators of prisons to share their knowledge, experience and expertise.
Q: Has the ACA's role changed over the years?
A: Today, our organization reflects the entire gamut of corrections from prisons to jails to community corrections and we represent all these different institutional elements. As the only representative organization in the United States that encompasses all the various components of corrections we play a very important role as the source and enforcer of standards. So, in addition to our other functions, from member representation to public safety to knowledge sharing to legislation, we have become more focused on establishing and spreading industry standards for each of these different operational components.
Q: Why is national standardization so important?
A: Without standards, we cannot know where we are going. In the absence of consistent standards for jails and prisons throughout the country, facility conditions and agency operations are left to the whim of each jurisdiction. Pulling together experts to study what works and to develop best-practice standards that can be applied consistently throughout the United States enhances operational efficiency, inmate outcomes and public safety. From our perspective, any jurisdiction or agency that is attempting to achieve ACA standards will provide better service and deliver better conditions to all their constituents, be they staff, inmates, the public or lawmakers. Without best-practice standards there is no motivation to improve.
Q: Does the ACA look at what other countries around the world are doing?
A: When it comes to adopting components or initiatives from other systems and other countries, of course it is a good idea to take a look at new or innovative practices and approaches. The ACA established a committee that is tasked with looking to other countries to see what is working there and evaluating whether it can be applied here. However, it can be a difficult proposition and one has to consider established law and history of jurisdictions and those of the other country. From that perspective, it is not always possible to transplant a good idea or practice from one country and implement it here in the United States. The reverse is also true.
Q: How do you feel now that your time as president is almost at an end?
A: It has been a lot of work with a lot of hours and effort, but looking back I can say that I have enjoyed almost every minute. I will certainly miss it. Although officially, I still have one more day before I move into my new role on executive board, which comes with its own set of duties, tasks and responsibilities. In truth, when you are elected to the position of ACA president you sign on for a six-year tour of duty. You spend two years as president elect, shadowing the incumbent and preparing for your two-year term as president, and then you spend a further two years after term transitioning out of the presidency as a member of the ACA's executive board.
Q: What have you accomplished during your tenure?
A: At the beginning we set several major initiatives that we wanted to accomplish during my time as president. Our membership, like those of many other organizations, had been declining and we wanted to reverse that trend. It is my firm belief that someone who belongs to a representative body or association is inherently more engaged with their chosen field of work and career. As a member of an association, such as the ACA, you become more engaged with other professionals in corrections and related fields. The knowledge sharing and exchange of experience and expertise that results can only enhance the performance of all parties and the field of corrections as a whole.
I am proud to say that through various strategies we were able to turn around the declining trend and increase our membership by 10 percent in the past two years to 22,000. Let's be clear though that increasing our membership is not about dues, which account for only about 10 percent of our revenue. This is about providing corrections professionals and our members with the opportunity to do a better job than they currently are, which improves service to the community, inmate outcomes and public safety.
Q: Are there other achievements you feel are of major significance?
ACA President Gary Maynard announces the grand prize finalists as the Congress comes to an end.
A: A second area of major focus during my time was that of the accreditation of jails. Less than 200 of the roughly 3,700 jails throughout the United States are accredited by the ACA, compared to between 40 to 50 percent of prisons. We realized that most of the jails are small facilities with less than 500 inmates, while the accreditation standards that existed were developed for larger facilities. Small jails choose not to engage in the process because accreditation seems financially and operationally beyond their capability and they could not hope to meet the exceptionally high standards developed for large-scale facilities.
Accreditation is a very important issue, so our jails committee set about drafting a core set of jails standards — for facilities with populations of less than 500 inmates — that the smaller facilities could strive for and achieve. Now we are aiming to have several thousand jails accredited. As an agency or jurisdiction, if you are not pursuing accreditation then you are stagnating and not improving your standards to the necessary level. ACA-accredited jails and those agencies that are at least pursuing the standards provide a safer, more progressive and more efficient environment for offenders and corrections staff, which improves service delivery and operations and benefits inmate outcomes and public safety.
Q: What other initiatives have you successfully implemented?
A: Healthcare is another major issue area for the ACA and our membership. We wanted to attract more healthcare professionals to our organization, so we set about developing workshops tailored to the field of correctional healthcare and established an accreditation process for correctional healthcare professionals.
At the 2007 winter conference, we launched the healthcare professional interest section, which provides specialized sessions, training and certification exams. The creation of this correctional healthcare group has helped us to increase our membership in this area and generated more conference participation by correctional healthcare professionals. Our healthcare committee continues to develop and refine performance-based standards for correctional healthcare, which are designed to create a safer, more effective correctional healthcare system. In addition, we recently established a committee to research the containment and management of pandemic disease and infection outbreaks and develop response strategies tailored to the correctional setting.
Q: What legislative initiatives did you prioritize during your presidency?
A: In advocating for legislation in areas of criminal justice and public safety, we consistently partner with other representative organizations from the fields of criminal justice.
We work hard to reach out to Congress and lawmakers with a single, unified voice that makes an informed, collective statement about what is good for the fields of criminal justice and corrections and for the community as a whole. In addition to issues of conditions and operations, as an organization we have been focused for some time on inmate outcomes and reducing recidivism. We have worked hard to increase federal funding for substance-abuse programs and other treatment programming that can help prevent offenders from returning to the corrections system.
Q: What specific legislative measures has the ACA worked to pass?
A: In representing the voice of jails and prisons, we have worked very closely with many organizations, such as the National Sheriff's Association, the American Probation and Parole Association, and the Association of State Correctional Administrators to help pass the Second Chance Act, which represents a very significant piece of legislation. We also worked for the incorporation of performance-based standards into the Prison Rape Elimination Act.
Q: As you leave office, what are some of the major challenges facing the field of corrections?
A: The continuing strength, influence and growth of gangs, their involvement with drugs and the resulting violence represent a major challenge for us today and in the future.
Of course, the increasing inmate population has always been a challenge for us. We know the number of inmates incarcerated in our prisons and jails is more than the rated capacity of these facilities. So addressing the inmate population and housing capacity in the coming years is critical.
Q: How does the ACA tackle such challenges?
A: Typically, we try to deal with challenges, such as population growth and housing capacity, by presenting sound information to legislative bodies and advising them about the best course of action. We have an obligation to our membership and the public to educate lawmakers through comprehensive analysis about the potential and probable outcomes of legislative decisions and the negative or positive impact legislative action or inaction on corrections, public safety and the community as a whole.
Q: What other major challenges does your membership face?
A: Information technology, its application, its absence, and its current state in corrections represents another significant challenge. Some of the technology being used in our jails and prisons today is so outmoded that it may as well be from the Dark Ages. As an organization, we are working hard to educate our membership in the area of information technology, and encouraging and supporting the deployment of technology, such as Web-based facility and data management systems throughout the country.
Q: What about environmental sustainability in corrections?
A: There is no question that environmental sustainability is a major issue, even for corrections. Our members, be it at the state or local level, are beginning to see the potential benefits of incorporating environmentally sustainable elements and systems into the design of new facilities and the operations of existing ones. In a similar vein to the growing interest in evidence-based facility design and programming, going green is creating a buzz right now and as our members learn more about sustainability, I think the more they will embrace the possibilities.


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South African Parliamentarians walk out as 'Hate speech' definition rammed without deliberation through NCOP
Today 24 October 2018, the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) Committee on Communications steamrolled the Film & Publications Bill, without proper discussion on the controversial broad definitions of 'hate speech' and 'harm', which would give the Film & Publications Board (FPB) legal director, Pandelis Gregoriou wide powers to regulate the internet. Gregoriou argued strongly for the broad definitions in the bill. Google South Africa, The Association of Christian Media, Freedom of Religion South Africa, Cause for Justice, Media Monitoring Africa, SOS Support Public Broadcasting, and the Freedom of Expression Institute argued for a narrow definition not wider than that defined in Clause 16(2) of the Constitution. It is unprecedented in South African history for all these diverse and ideologically different organisations to agree on any single point.
ChristianView Network argues a broad definition of 'hate speech' and 'harm' in this bill threatens anyone expressing their views in the media or on the internet. It empowers special interest groups to bully and silence those who oppose them. It will help those really guilty of hate speech by diverting resources away from them and making justice arbitary. The politicians who are passing this bill don't realise they are giving a blank cheque to Gregoriou and associated speech police and may end up being the next to be silenced, fined or criminally prosecuted.
Multichoice/DSTV argued that hate speech should be dealt with in the Hate Speech and Hate Crimes Act and not in the FPB Act. The Jewish Board of Deputies submission said that "The danger of such definitions being presented in too broad terms is two fold. One is that the absence of clearly defined parameters makes it difficult to press home a charge of hate speech, since it often comes down to one person's subjective opinion against anothers. The second is that the vagueness of terminology can be used to suppress even legitimate forms of expression." ENCA and the Right2Know submitted strong objections to the 2015/16 version of the FPB Bill, but did not comment on the 2017/18 version.
The chairperson Mrs Ellen Prins said that the committee did not need to deliberate on Section 1 which included the "harm" and "hate speech" definitions, because it had already done so. Mr Julius of the Democratic Alliance objected. Nevertheless, the chair argued this had been discussed when he was absent and his alternate Mrs Labaschagne was present. I, Philip Rosenthal had been present at all the meetings discussing the FPB Bill, taking notes and recordings and deny this section was deliberated on. I stepped out of the meeting and phoned Mrs Labaschagne who also denied this. The records of the Parliamentary Monitoring Group also record no such deliberation. https://pmg.org.za/bill/613/
Public hearings took place on 12 September 2018, at which all presenters opposed the hate speech definition. At this meeting Mr Simphiwe Mthimunye asked the state law adviser Mrs Ngema to answer the objections raised in the oral submissions. She said she would look at them again to try to understand them. Freedom of Religion South Africa, and the Association of Christian Media met with her and the legal advisers of the FPB and Department of Communications to discuss concerns on 10 October 2018. It was evident that Mr Gregoriou of the FPB strongly supported a broad hate speech definition and had no sympathy for concerns around threats to free speech. It turned out he had been behind attacks on free speech in his previous job as head of the Human Rights Commission Legal Services. Churches and individuals were unjustly bullied and threatened under his tenure at the SAHRC. The NCOP committee meeting on 10 October was cancelled due to lack of a quorum. The next meeting was today 24 October. It was thus impossible for there to have been any deliberation on Section 1 (the definitions) after the public hearings and taking into consideration public inputs.
Mr Jacques Julius of the DA argued that the bill had been incorrectly tagged, since it involved consumer protection and thus should require public consultation in every province. State law adviser, Ms Ngema said the only way to change this was to take it to court. Ms Nkagisai Koni of the EFF expressed opposition to the bill.
Being banned from discussing the definition of 'hate speech' in clause 1, Mr Julius attempted to raise the issue of hate speech indirectly through later references in the bill. In response Mr Gregoriou and Ms Ngema repeated the party line in favour of a broad definition.
Frustrated with the inadequate deliberation, Mr Julius (DA), Mr Smit (DA) and Ms Koni (EFF) then walked out of the meeting, leaving it without a quorum - and thus not allowed to take a vote to pass. The committee chairperson then phoned for reinforcements from her own party and moved the meeting to another venue. Dr Hunadi Mateme arrived after the meeting was supposed to have ended and not having been present at the previous deliberations. The ANC members present then quickly went through the bill and voted to adopt it with an amendment. Mr Smit said afterwards the DA would be writing to the head of the National Council of Provinces to protest the lack of due process at the meeting. He argued a number of procedural irregulaties he planned to raise - and hoped there would still be a proper deliberation.
On the positive side the meeting agreed to ban some extreme and degrading forms of pornography.
Please write to email@example.com (Head of the Committee on Communications) and Ms Thandi Modise email@example.com (Head of the NCOP) to request proper deliberation on the definitions of harm and hate speech in the Film & Publications Bill.
Philip Rosenthal
ChristianView Network
Tel: +2721 6854500
Fax: +27(0)866164452
Mobile: +2782 6768966
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Mail: Postnet 114, P/Bag X18, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa
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subset: commoncrawl


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REVIEW & TRAILER: Fifty Shades Of Grey fails to find G-spot
Sam Taylor-Johnson's flaccid film version of the EL James literary sensation preaches to the perverted in soft-core whimpers and sighs.
WHAT DO YOU THINK? Leave a comment below or tweet us a review with a mark out of 10 on our Twitter page.
VIDEO: Press the play button to watch the trailer for Fifty Shades Of Grey.
Editor Lisa Gunning gently caresses each glossy sequence of writhing appendages to the strains of Danny Elfman's score or a soaring ballad from Annie Lennox and Sia.
"Got me looking so crazy in love," purrs Beyonce beneath the picture's first impeccably lit montage of gym-toned flesh on flesh.
Sadly the carnal abandon in her lyrics fails to translate as lustful hanky-spanky on the big screen.
The plot is handcuffed tightly to the book.
As a favour to her flu-riddled roommate Kate (Eloise Mumford), English Literature student Anastasia Steele (Dakota Johnson) interviews handsome billionaire Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan) for an article in the university newspaper.
Anastasia is intoxicated but Christian initially pushes her away.
"I'm not the man for you. You have to steer clear of me," he whispers.
Irresistibly drawn to the businessman, Anastasia agrees to a date and Christian spirits her away to his red room festooned with S&M toys via a flight on his private helicopter.
As she takes her first ride on his chopper to the throb of Ellie Goulding's chart-topping hit Love Me Like You Do, Taylor-Johnson's film reduces to an orgy of product placements and glossy fantasies that wouldn't look too shabby as TV commercials for luxury cars, designer fragrances or crumbly, flaky confectionery.
Only in Taylor-Johnson's film, the beautiful heroine, who bites her lower lip as lazy shorthand for anticipatory sexual pleasure, wants to unwrap Dornan's sculpted torso rather than a glistening slab of milk chocolate.
"I'm incapable of letting you go," confides Christian as he introduces wide-eyed Anastasia to his secret world of domination and submission, which didn't get UK censors hot under the collar, passing the film uncut.
Nor me.
I was more aroused by the immaculate shine on Christian's piano than anything in his boudoir of bondage: a set designer must have spent hours buffing those ivories.
When Dornan and Johnson are fully clothed and enjoying comical scenes of flirtation, they kindle smouldering screen chemistry.
As soon as one of them disrobes, those embers are extinguished.
Kelly Marcel's script fails to flesh out the protagonists: Christian remains an enigma and Dornan gamely keeps a straight face as he barks lines like, "If you were mine, you wouldn't be able to sit down for a week."
The usual sexual inequality about on-screen nudity applies.
While Johnson is depicted full frontal, Dornan's johnson remains artfully hidden by his co-star's creamy thighs or high thread-count bed sheets.
In an early scene, Ana's roommate excitedly demands the lowdown on Christian and the heroine coolly responds that he was nice, courteous and clean.
That's a fair summation of the film: two hours of polite, functional, beautifully shot foreplay that fails to locate the G-spot.
FIFTY SHADES OF GREY (18, 125 mins) Romance/Drama. Dakota Johnson, Jamie Dornan, Eloise Mumford, Jennifer Ehle, Luke Grimes, Victor Rasuk, Andrew Airlie, Marcia Gay Harden. Director: Sam Taylor-Johnson.
Released: February 13 (UK & Ireland)


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Sharing the Experiences of our Redemption
Elena Flerova – "Pesach" - Jewish Art Oil Painting
The Month that moves us out of being Enslaved to our Egos. Nissan!
Rebbetzin Tzipporah Heller - "The name itself evokes a sense of freshness and renewal. From the very beginning of Jewish history, Nissan has been synonymous with a longing for redefinition and hope. The Talmud tells us that Abraham observed Passover. Obviously it was not to commemorate the Exodus, which only took place centuries later. Maharal explains that the Nissan season 'spoke to him.' The more Abraham saw physical evidence of God's love and creativity, the more humble he felt. So during the Passover season, Abraham chose to eliminate everything from his life that was puffed up -- a semblance of the over inflated ego. This included all leavened food. It was Abraham's way of holding on to his recognition of what renewal really means and where it comes from.
Flock of Sheep.
The Astral sign of Nissan is the lamb. Lambs graze in a flock, faithfully following the shepherd. Being a follower is sometimes a mature choice, not a passive failure. The Jewish people made the choice to follow God, and not our own inflated egos as people. In Egypt, as we seesawed between the twin forces of assimilation and oppression, we came to realize that relying on transient humans for our self-definition was national suicide. We chose to follow God. We also came to realize that no amount of autonomous political action would bring us the spiritual freedom we craved. We finally humbled ourselves to acknowledge that the only possible way we'd ever get out of Egypt would be by God's mercy.
No amount of political action will bring us the spiritual freedom we crave. Something within us moved, enough for us to follow God into the desert, and later accept His Torah. We were like lambs that finally discovered the shepherd who cares for them. How appropriate that the liberation from Egypt took place in the month of the lamb.
Nissan is referred to in the Torah by three names, each one of which opens a door to a deeper understanding:
"The First Month"
The month of redemption is considered even greater than Tishrei, the month of that the universe came into being. The world was created with a purpose, which is that we humans imbue it with purpose, in order to rectify ourselves individually and the world at large. Nissan is the month in which our people emerged with this goal as their national definition.
Nachmanides, the great 13th century sage and commentator, goes so far as to say that when assigning a number to each month, it is a mitzvah to count beginning with Nissan, to increase our awareness of the miracles that led to our liberation. From his perspective, it's better, when possible, to refer to the secular months by their names -- January, February, etc. Assigning numbers would dull our sensitivity that "month number one" is number one is reserved for that month which leads us toward national self-definition.
This name means spring, the time when the physical and spiritual messages of rebirth meet and blossom.
Although this name is technically of Babylonian origin, the Aramaic word Nissan is related to the Hebrew word, nitzan, meaning bud. In Song of Songs, King Solomon's epic poem in which he depicts the love that bonds us to God, redemption is symbolically referred to as "the time that the buds were seen in our land," which means that the inarticulate earth gave birth to a people who soon would flower.
Special Days
Besides Passover, other days in Nissan carry deep significance. The first day of Nissan marks the inauguration of the Mishkan, the portable tabernacle that accompanied the Jewish people during 40 years of wandering in the desert. The Mishkan served as a visual allegory of how the macrocosm and microcosm can both be transformed as a sanctuary for God. In the Mishkan, each vessel, material and metal was carefully selected to symbolize specific ways in which the animal vegetable and mineral worlds can be uplifted.
Years later, the first of Nissan was when the Jews of the Babylonian exile began their return to Israel. The buds had begun to blossom. Amazingly, Nissan is the time when Jews make a special blessing over new blossoms. Upon the first sighting of the new blossoms of fruit trees at the start of spring, the following blessing is recited:
Blessed are You, God, our Lord, King of the Universe, for nothing is lacking in His universe and
He created within it good creatures and trees, with which to provide pleasure to mankind.
The first of Nissan is also the time that most congregations begin their fundraising campaign for Kimcha DiPischa (literally, "flour for Passover"). No Jew can fully experience the freedom of these days while in isolation. The Exodus was the liberation of an entire nation, not of any one individual. No one is free when he knows that his fellow Jew doesn't have what he needs.
In earlier times, the rabbi of the town had the legal authority to mandate contributions. While this is no longer the case, the underlying premise hasn't changed: that true freedom comes through giving, not taking.
Shabbat HaGadol
When God created the world, His plan was that we choose to know Him. When we internalize His presence by choosing goodness, in a certain sense we receive the greatest gift of all: God Himself. The kabbalists state this idea as: "An awakening [of Divine mercy] from above, must be preceded by an awakening [of commitment] from below." For this reason, God didn't free us from Egypt without challenging us to make a commitment to Him, so that we would share in the process of redemption.
God challenged us to slaughter a sheep, a symbol of pagan belief in Egypt.
The way that God challenged us was by requiring each family to take a sheep, an important symbol in the pantheon of pagan belief that characterized ancient Egypt. Each family tied the sheep to their bedposts for four days, and then offered it as a sacrifice to God. The day they took the sheep was Shabbat, the 10th of Nissan.
We see this day as the beginning of the redemption, for it is on this day that we followed God's instructions, to later slaughter the sheep, even at the risk of enraging our Egyptian captors. But our trust in God made this act possible.
On Shabbat HaGadol, it is a well-established custom to read those sections of the Haggadah that deal with the miracles of the liberation -- i.e. from "We were slaves" until "You brought us to the Temple to atone for our transgressions." It is also a custom for the rabbi of every synagogue to deliver a major sermon on this Shabbat.
Bedikat Chametz
The deadline for removing all leavened ("inflated") food from one's house is the evening, one day prior to the Seder. The idea of ridding our homes of chametz is that it is a tool to simultaneously rid ourselves of its spiritual counterpart, egotism. Egocentricity is the source of all evil. God infused these times with the spiritual power to destroy the ego's grip on our personalities.
Getting ready for this night requires quite a bit of physical and spiritual preparation. For some people, "Passover cleaning" begins at least a month before the holiday arrives. They spend days removing every trace of leavened food from the home, sometimes getting involved with general spring cleaning and possibly even a tad of redecorating or painting. It is important to realize that the religious requirements are relatively simple, and in situations where doing a great deal of cleaning is just not feasible, it is best to stick to the basics. The focus should be on doing God's will -- getting rid of leavened food and negating the ego.
The more we open our hearts to God, the more ridiculous our pomposity feels.
Indeed, freshness and renewal most easily comes when we let go of the heaviness of self-importance and give ourselves permission to be simple. For the more we open our hearts to God's presence and love, the more ridiculous our pomposity feels.
The formal act of searching to remove chametz is called Bedikat Chametz. The examination begins at night. Every nook and cranny has to be checked. The examination must be done by direct light -- i.e. using a candle or flashlight. It is customary to hide 10 pieces of bread (remember where you put them!), which symbolize the 10 mystical Sefirot in reverse.
The kabbalists use the Sefirot to describe the ways in which God reveals His presence to us, for instance through his continual outpouring of goodness. Since we live in a world in which free choice is authentic, we acknowledge that if it is possible to be good, and we find it attractive, we will find doing evil equally as compelling.
Each one of the 10 Sefirot has a negative counterpart. Passover is a time that all the forces of evil can be defeated, just as they were in Egypt over 3,000 years ago.
The timing is critical. Rabbi Chaim Vital tells us that the first 13 days of Nissan hint at the first 13 years of one's life. When the 13th year is over, and the 14th year is about to begin, something crucial happens to us. The yetzer tov (positive impulses) becomes just as forceful in the battle for one's personality as the yetzer hara (negative impulses). It is then that the ability to examine and introspect begins, in the same way that when the 13th day of Nissan ends, we now can search, discover and ultimately destroy the actual chametz that is so much part of our lives.
Bitul Chametz
The climax of our search for chametz is our stating that "whatever chametz is in our possession, is now considered to be as ownerless as the dust of the earth." The next day, the 10 pieces of bread, plus any residual chametz, must be destroyed.
As you sit down to the Seder, to relive the enslavement and the Exodus, you will eat the matzah and drink the wine. These are tools to help you write your own personal story of redemption, added to the millions of stories that are part of our unwritten history. May we all merit to see the buds of Nissan blossom into full and genuine redemption. And may we spend the next Seder together, in a free and rebuilt Jerusalem.
By Rebbetzin Tzipporah Heller – Jerusalem Insights Update 73 – March 18, 2010


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Coal Ash
The following Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) website lists the labs which are certified by the State of North Carolina Division of Water Resources. These labs may be associated with contractors which will take the soil sample for a property owner. It is advisable that a contractor should be hired who understands the methods of taking, storing, and delivering samples in order for the analytical data to be accurate.
Soil samples that are tested for the presence of coal ash should have the Polarized Light Microscopy (PLM) method used for analysis, as this is the most current method used to determine presence/absence of coal ash particles and, if present, they can give a percentage that is present in the sample matrix. PLM is being used to help guide closure of the basins. PLM can be very useful because if this method does not detect any ash particles, then additional sampling (for coal ash concerns) would not be warranted.
At this time, we are unaware of a local lab (or lab in this state) that can run PLM. The lab that is being used currently is RJ Lee Group in Pennsylvania. They need a 4 oz jar and the cost for analysis is $125 per sample. If coal ash is present, then we recommend the resident consult with their contractor for next steps. It is our understanding that a local lab is preparing to be able to test for coal ash with PLM in the next couple months, but they are not ready yet. As soon as we find out that they are up and running, we will inform the community of that option.
If you have any questions you may contact the Mooresville Regional DEQ office at 704-663-1699.
North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Information on Coal Ash Structural Fills


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by Janice Thompson
You're at the 3/4 point in your novel and facing that all-important crisis scene. The Supreme Ordeal. The Black Moment. The Big Gloom. You know it's critical to the story's survival, and you want it to be the best it can be. Still, you're unsure of how to progress. How does one go about writing a crisis scene, anyway? What does a confused writer need to know? It's as easy as "Stop, Drop and Roll!"
• Stop the clock. Make the reader feel like time is standing still. Like they can't possibly breathe until you start the clock again.
• Stop the romance. There's a time to kiss…and a time to save the planet. It's time to save the planet.
• Stop the sunlight. It's time to cover your story in shadows.
• Stop the reader's heart. Leave him breathless and worried.
• Stop the POV character's chances of survival. Things have to look hopeless at this point in the story.
• Stop pretending the POV character's got it all together. Every flaw is now exposed and every hidden motive revealed.
• Stop the cheerful chatter. No time to sound uplifting or cheerful. The crisis scene calls for tense, sobering word choices.
• Drop the plotline. You've been building, building, building. Now let it plummet.
• Drop your reader's hope. Make him think the story can't possibly work out.
• Drop your POV characters to a physical low.
• Drop your POV characters to an emotional low.
• Drop the lengthy narrative. Crisis scenes call for short, quick dialogue and very little narrative. Cut off words by using -em dashes. Leave off tags. Push aside descriptives. Cut to the chase.
• Roll up your sleeves. Writing the crisis scene is tough work. You need to learn how to do it effectively.
• Roll up (tighten) the tension coil. Tighter! Tighter! Tighter!
• Roll over and play dead. Your character has to face death (death of a dream, death of a romance, death of hope, etc.) This isn't a physical death, of course, though it might look as if your primary POV character might face a literal death.
• Roll out the punches. Your character's going to have to come out swinging.
• Roll out the sword! Your character needs to be armed and ready to do battle.
• Roll the stone away from the cave. Resurrection day is coming!
• Roll toward the resolution. Everything has to turn out okay in the end.
The next time you face a crisis scene in your book, just think of these three little words: Stop, Drop and Roll!
Janice Hanna Thompson is the author of over eighty books for the Christian market. She is known for her comedic inspirational romances. Janice lives in Spring, Texas, where every day is a happy day! To find out more about her, visit her site at www.janicehannathompson.com or visit her on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JaniceHannaThompson.


text: The GUMSHOE rules system is a new rpg which revolutionizes investigative scenarios by ensuring that players are never deprived of the crucial clues they need to move the story forward. Adventure creation is a core component of the system. GUMSHOE was written by Robin D Laws, creator of the Dying Earth, and the first release incorporating the rule set was The Esoterrorists, followed by Fear Itself. Other new projects using the GUMSHOE system, including Mutant City Blues and a adaptation of Call of Cthulhu by Kenneth Hite called Trail of Cthulhu.


text:
US Centers for Disease Control: Swine flu Director's Update Brief, Day of Long Range Workforce Planning, 19 May 2009
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- Release date
- May 19, 2009
The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is the peak body for the controlling the spread of "swine flu", or H1N1 Mexican influenza in the United States. This document presents information on the spread of the disease.
See also the other leaks in this series.
Further information
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Creating a dementia-friendly nation
A dementia-friendly community is a place where people living with dementia are supported to live a high quality of life with meaning, purpose and value.
Dementia Australia has developed a number of resources to assist all Australians to get a better understanding of what they can do to contribute to a dementia-friendly nation.
For more information visit www.dementiafriendly.org.au.


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The 2013 season was the 14th straight year that the Bills missed the playoffs and 9th straight season with a losing record. This was the third straight year the team finished 6-10 but this one feels different. The new coach, GM, and CEO are younger and more in touch with today's NFL. It does finally seem like they are headed in the right direction with the right leadership. Now for the 14th year in a row we do our position by position final exam grades as well as individual player grades for key players at each position. We also will take a look ahead at what might happen with next season's roster:
It was a disappointing season at the position because the team did not find out if they have their franchise QB or not. Manuel missed six games with three different knee injuries causing concerns about his durability and leaving the question unanswered. When he was on the field he had a weak QB rating of 77.7 and completed just 58.8% of his passes with 11 touchdown passes and 9 interceptions. They may have found their backup QB of the future in Lewis who came over just before the season started in a trade with Detroit. He started five games and completed 59.2% of his passes with four scores and three picks and a QB rating of 81. Tuel got one start and one very bad relief appearance. Final Overall Grade D: The most important position was once again below average. Manuel Incomplete: Has another year to prove himself as he has already been named next year's starter. Lewis C: Should get some competition for backup job but has earned a chance to compete for it. Tuel C-: Marrone loves him but if another QB gets brought in, he should go to the practice squad. Kolb No Grade: If he's cleared to play, will be the QB to compete with Lewis but his playing days are likely over.
This position was pretty much split down the middle thanks to an ankle injury by Spiller and Jackson battling a sprained MCL much of the season. Jackson was the guy who got the ball in crunch time as he gained 890 yards on 206 carries while Spiller got 933 yards on four fewer carries. Jackson added 387 yards receiving while Spiller struggled in the passing game with just 185 yards on 33 catches for a 5.6 yard average. Final Overall Grade B+: The key to the entire offense. Spiller B-: Injuries curtailed his production but seemed to be in Marrone's doghouse a bit and likely will continue to see a reduced role next year. Jackson A: Coaches just love him and what's not to love? Likely to be the featured back in a split backfield again next year. Summers B+: Solid job and should be the main fullback again next year.
It was a down year for Johnson who struggled with injuries and the death of his mother causing him to miss a lot of playing time. He still finished 2nd in receptions (52) and yards (597) behind Chandler who had the best statistical year of any tight end in team history with 53 catches for 655 yards. Woods showed a lot of promise in his rookie year finishing with 40 catches for 587 yards. Goodwin and Graham were supposed to be a one-two deep threat. Goodwin couldn't stay healthy but did catch three touchdown passes from 40+ yards but the two players combined for just 40 receptions. Final Overall Grade D+: This unit needs an infusion of size to go along with the speed. Johnson D: Down year but Bills brass left little doubt he will be back. Woods C+: Showed promise as a number two receiver. Graham D: It is looking more and more like he is a bust. Goodwin C: Has potential and will be back as the deep threat but he has to stay healthy. Hogan C: Shows nice hands and earned the right to compete for a roster spot next year. Easley B: Made a niche for himself as a fantastic gunner on special teams which will allow him to make next year's team. Chandler A-: The team would like to re-sign him but won't break the bank so he will likely go elsewhere for more money. Smith B: Solid blocking tight end that will likely be back in the same role next season. Gragg C: Talented receiver who will be given a chance to continue his development.
This unit was incredibly healthy as four of the starting five played almost every snap with Legursky taking over at left guard after the release of the inept Colin Brown. The unit took a step back this year allowing 48 sacks and struggling at times opening up holes for the running game. Final Overall Grade D: This unit needs new starters at left guard and right tackle. Glenn A: Developing into a very solid blindside protector. Pears F: 2nd straight awful season and he needs to be replaced. Chris Hairston will be given a chance after missing the year with an injury. Wood C: Not a great year but with a new contract he is the hub of the offensive line for the next few years at least. Urbik C: Average year and may be pushed for the starting job by J.J. 'Unga who Marrone loves. Legursky F: No reason to bring him back as he was almost as bad as Brown. Antoine McClain or Mark Asper will get a chance here.
This unit had a great season and really meshed well to Mike Pettine's defensive scheme. This unit combined for 43 of the team record 57 sacks. They had unrelenting pressure from the Williams brothers and Dareus had his best season to date in clogging the middle and getting pressure on the QB. Hughes was a steal when they got him in a trade with the Colts and he had double digit sacks along with the Williams brothers. Final Overall Grade A: Great year for the best unit on the team. Mario Williams B+: Much better second season for the Pro Bowler and he will be right back in the same spot next year. Kyle Williams A+: The best player on the team will have a completely healthy offseason for the first time in three years. Dareus A: Finally developing into a dominant player. Will be back in the middle with Kyle Williams next year. Branch A-: Did his job clogging things up after Carrington went down. Has a new contract and will likely remain a starter. Hughes A: New surroundings made it a big year for Hughes. He will be the complement pass rusher to Mario Williams once again next year. Bryant B: Showed promise in limited playing time will get a chance to challenge for a job next year. Charles B+: Made a lot of plays in little playing time. May get a bigger look next year. Carrington Incomplete: Had high hopes after great preseason but his season ended after three games. He is now an unrestricted free agent. May try to bring him back on a cheap one year deal.
It appeared this would be a weak unit but thanks to the free agent acquisition of Lawson and the rise of the legend of Kiko Alonso, this unit held its own in 2013. Alonso was dominant early in the season and consistent down the stretch. Lawson did a great job containing the edge and was the best run stopper on the team along with adding four sacks. The weakside linebacker spot was a problem with both Bradham and Moats seeing limited playing time as the team went with two backers in many formations. Final Overall Grade B: Could use one more starter to make this unit complete. Alonso A: Nice surprise as the second round pick played every snap. May move outside if they bring in another guy in the middle. Lawson A: Mid-level free agent signing provided big time results. Will be expecting more of the same next year. Bradham C: Saw little playing time until the final month of the season. Likely didn't show enough to hold on to starting job. Moats D: Saw almost no playing time down the stretch and will likely not be brought back as an unrestricted free agent. Powell B: Showed some talent in limited playing time. May get more of a look next season.
A nice year for this group as they finished fourth in the league in pass defense. They were helped by a relentless pass rush but they contributed to it as well. Defensive back rushes accounted for 7½ sacks including 3 from Robey and 3½ from Searcy. The unit had 18 of the team's 23 interceptions, which was 2nd most in the league. 13 of those picks came from the safeties. Final Overall Grade B+: Nice year to build on for the 2014 season. Gilmore C-: Wrist injury hampered him even when he returned. He played better down the stretch and look for him to continue to rebound next year. McKelvin A: Had by far his best year as a corner. Will he turn it to a full shutdown corner next year? He has a chance. Robey A-: This undrafted free agent was a huge find despite his small stature. Will be the nickel back again next season. Brooks F: He was bad when on the field and will likely not be on the roster next season. Byrd A-: Another Pro Bowl season despite missing five games. The team wants him back and he is now open to returning. Likely will try to get a long term deal done. If not will they franchise him again? I don't think so. Williams A: The move to safety was huge for him. He will be a cornerstone at that position next year with or without Byrd. Searcy B Will be a starter next year if Byrd doesn't return. Leonhard B- Wants to play one more year and the Bills will likely let it be in Buffalo.
The unit struggled mightily under the supervision of new coordinator Danny Crossman. The highlight was Carpenter who was signed just before the season opener when draft pick Dustin Hopkins got hurt. He hit 33 of 36 field goals including team records for number of successful kicks from outside of 40 and outside of 50 yards. After Shawn Powell struggled the Bills went to an old friend in Moorman who brought stability to the punting game. McKelvin struggled holding on to punts and there was nothing doing in the kick return game either. The coverage units struggled at the worst possible times this season. Final Overall Grade C-: There should be wholesale scheme changes. Carpenter A+: They want him back but he will be in high demand as a free agent. Does he want to return? If he doesn't, then Hopkins will get his shot. Moorman B: They want him back and he wants to be back so expected him to be the punter next year. McKelvin D: His days as a returner may be over. Goodwin C: Didn't get many chances but will get another shot next year most likely. Coverage Teams D: Only gave up one score but several big returns happened at the wrong time. Easley is a solid gunner. Sanborn A: Remains one of the best snappers in the league. Will be back next year.
Marrone seemed to succeed in beginning to change the culture at One Bills Drive. The team fought hard every week and were in almost every game. That is the first step to building a winner. Hackett had some growing pains and would likely be helped by the presence of a QB coach. Pettine was fantastic with his aggressive scheme but they still gave up too many big plays especially in the running game. Crossman was a complete failure even though Marrone wants to blame the lack of talent on special teams. Final Overall Grade C: Looks like they are headed in the right direction. Marrone C+: Acceptable first season now they need to make a big leap in year two. Hackett C-: Needs to continue to grow into the position. Pettine A-: If he can sure up the big plays allowed, then he will have a top defensive unit next season. Crossman F: If it wasn't for his close friendship with Marrone, he would be fired.


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REUTERS Tuesday, 11 December 2012 09:21 AM EST
The share offering will close the chapter on one of the most politically contentious rescues of 2008, which ultimately gave AIG up to $182 billion of government support.
At one point, the government estimated that it would never recover all of the bailout money, but as AIG restructured and returned to viability, it was able to repay the entire rescue fund plus generate a profit for U.S. taxpayers.
AIG said on Tuesday that the Treasury agreed to sell 234.2 million shares to investors for $32.50 apiece. The insurer said that Treasury has additional AIG warrants that it can sell to boost the government's $22.7 billion of total returns so far.
"No taxpayer should be pleased that the government had to rescue this company, but all taxpayers should be pleased with today's announcement, ending the largest of the government's financial industry bail-outs with a profit to the Treasury Department," Jim Millstein, the Treasury's former chief restructuring officer, said Monday in a statement. AIG was rescued just before it would have been forced to file for bankruptcy protection in September 2008 as losses on risky derivatives mounted. It was bailed out as the world's financial system stood at the brink of disaster, shortly after Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy and Merrill Lynch sold itself to Bank of America Corp.
AIG was one of the Treasury Department's most hotly contested bailouts. U.S. lawmakers began calling for Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner's resignation after it was revealed that AIG paid $165 million in retention bonuses to employees of the derivatives unit that has been blamed for the company's financial distress at that time.
It prompted Republican lawmaker Charles Grassley to call for AIG executives to resign or commit suicide, though the Iowa senator eventually backtracked from those comments.
The company also funneled over $90 billion of taxpayer money — more than half the funds the government used to rescue AIG — to various European and Wall Street banks, including Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank and Barclays Plc.
The sale price of $32.50 represents a 2.6 percent discount to AIG's Monday close of $33.36. The sale is due to close on Friday. AIG's shares rose 1.6 percent in pre-market trading on Tuesday to $33.90.
Robert Benmosche, the former CEO of MetLife, took over as CEO of AIG in August 2009, replacing Edward Liddy, who had been installed by the U.S. government. He will ultimately get the lion's share of the credit for turning the company around and preventing a fire sale of its assets.
Benmosche salvaged some of the company's businesses, defended the company's employees against their detractors and figured out a path forward that would let the company both repay the government and stay in business.
In September, he said the company may be in a position to consider a dividend by next summer.
"It was an ugly process," said Greg Valliere, chief political strategist with Potomac Research Group, but he added: "Bottom line is that the government made money."
Treasury and AIG said that the sale was jointly led by Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Citigroup, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase & Co.
The sale closes out AIG's bailout, but other companies still owe the government. The latest Treasury estimate has the Troubled Asset Relief Program ultimately costing the U.S. taxpayers $60 billion. Among the companies still paying back the government are General Motors, auto lender Ally Financial Inc. and a series of small banks.
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Open Garden wants to give you tokens for sharing your internet connection
- By NewsDr.
- 0 Comments
Open Garden launched its mesh networking platform at TechCrunch Disrupt NY 2012. Since then, the company has gone through a few iterations and found unexpected success in its Firechat offline messaging service. Now, it's ready for the next step in its evolution. The company now wants to make it easier for anybody with an Android phone to share their Wi-Fi connections with anyone who is nearby. And to incentivize people to do so, the company plans to launch its own Ethereum token (called OG…) in early 2018.
The company bills this as the launch of a "decentralized Internet Service Provider (ISP)." You still need a regular ISP to become an Open Garden ISP, so I admit that the whole concept doesn't quite seem right to me. Unsurprisingly, Open Garden CEO Paul Hainsworth (who took over from the company's founded CEO in early 2016) doesn't see it that way. "The concept of a decentralized ISP is entirely new," he told me. "The traditional, centralized ISP is a one-to-many relationship between provider and customer. A decentralized ISP is the combination of millions of individual people, companies and products creating a new kind of network. These millions of people sharing their internet are ISPs, tiny or large, and in aggregate they form a decentralized ISP."
The argument here is that most people only use a small amount of their broadband connection's bandwidth cap. So why not share this access with others and earn some OG in the process? While Open Garden argues that this is a totally new concept, the likes of Fon and others have long enabled WiFi sharing without the need for Ethereum tokens and mesh networks. Most have done so with mixed success, likely because few people actually want to share their internet access.
A decentralized network like this can also only work if enough people participate. Open Garden is trying to jumpstart this process by using its FireChat app to bootstrap this process. The company says its messaging service has over 5 million registered users and they will form the basis for seeding this network. Over time, Open Garden also plans to add apps for iOS, Mac, Windows and set-top streaming boxes. "Project Open Garden, our open source project, will enable developers to build OG into their own apps and hardware solutions," the company argues. "OG can be used by existing WiFi infrastructure owners – such as municipal WiFi, shopping malls, stadiums, airports, restaurants, and small businesses – to monetize their existing capital investment."
And why use tokens (besides, I assume, that this is obviously a hip thing to do right now)? "Our intent is to enable regular consumers to buy internet access without having to understand anything about crypto, blockchains or anything technical," Hainsworth told me. He also argues that tokens are a good way to incentivize growth. "By issuing our own token, instead of just using Bitcoin or Ethereum, we can give away a very large percentage of the total tokens (or coins) in our economy to participants," he noted. "We do this to incentivize network growth, user acquisition and retention. Incentives work at an individual level. Early adopters can earn additional bonus OG for being first to market, for example."
So if all the incentive you ever needed to share your internet connection with random strangers was a bit of Ethereum OG, then your dreams have come true. The Open Garden app is now available for download in the Google Play store.


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Guccifer emails link Tony Blair to top-secret Bohemian Grove gathering
Attending the elusive Bohemian Grove retreat should be a priority for former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, News Corp executive Andrew Knight allegedly writes in an email to US Gen. Colin Powell obtained by RT.
The mysterious computer hacker known only as Guccifer has once again supplied RT with a trove of presumed personal emails in which the private correspondence between some of the world's most influential men is put under the looking glass. The hacker's target is once again former Secretary of State Colin Powell, and this time the discourse dives into a topic rarely discussed: the annual summer retreat at California's Bohemian Grove.
Guccifer has previously taken credit for hacking Gen. Powell's Facebook, compromising what are believed to be sensitive emails sent to former-President George W. Bush and even uncovering emails about last year's Benghazi, Libya terrorist attack allegedly sent to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. In the latest leaked emails sent to RT, Guccifer showcases a number of emails reportedly sent to Colin Powell's AOL account during the last few years.
The few dozen emails forwarded to RT offer what appears on the surface to be little insight into Gen. Powell's personal habits, but one email in particular referenced enough other well-known individuals that it couldn't help but raise a red flag: in correspondence dated March 21, 2012, Knight asks Gen. Powell to have a few words with Mr. Blair about preparing for that year's Bohemian Grove retreat, an annual gathering of the rich and powerful that has stayed so elusive for decades that countless documentaries and books have been written about the event — and journalists like Vanity Fair's Alex Shoumatoff has even been arrested trying to infiltrate it.
Former Prime Minister Tony Blair's press office told RT that they were not prepared to comment on the leaked emails.
According to the Sonoma County Free Press, the membership list of Bohemian Grove has included every Republican US president since 1923, as well as titans of the defense sector, banking tycoons and the CEOs of some of the largest corporations in the world. Spy Magazine linked the guest list with millionaires and billionaires from the likes of IBM and Bank of America, as well as leading politicians from Washington and abroad. And when Spy's Philip Weiss snuck into the grove in 1989, he confirmed that attendees congregate at a shrine to an owl described as "40-foot-tall, moss-covered statue of stone and steel."
Weiss adds that during the event's middle weekend — the busiest session of the two-week gathering — he saw roughly 2,200 guests, all male, on the camp ground. Just last year, though, Powell was asked to ensure that Blair made it for that portion of the festivities.
"Might you be able gently/firmly to point out to Tony that you rank the Bohemia Middle Weekend in your diary before allowing any other duties to get in the way?!" writes Knight, a journalist who currently serves as a director of billionaire Rupert Murdoch's multinational News Corp, in the latest leaked emails. "Lack of exposure suggests that Tony has not yet got his priorities straight."
Also included in the email is a PDF attachment — unavailable to RT's reporters — said to include a response of sorts from Mr. Blair to George Shultz, a longtime member of Washington's elite that worked as secretary of state underneath US Pres. Ronald Reagan in the late 1980s while Gen. Powell held the position of national security advisor. In his own right, Shultz has been associated with the secretive Bohemian Grove group for decades.
In the leaked emails, Knight says to Powell, "I'm going to suggest the same to Henry," likely implying that the journalist was determined to make sure Mr. Kissinger — who served as secretary of state under Pres. Nixon and Ford, and before that was national security advisor himself — was preparing to attend last year's event.
Several sources online tie Powell, Shultz, Knight and Kissinger to Bohemian Grove, but Blair has only been long rumored to be an attendee at the annual soiree. In 2006, Blair did visit San Francisco, California — less than 100 miles away from the Grove's gated campsite—where he dined with Shultz.
"There was speculation that Mr. Blair might even have been a guest at the male-only event, following in the footsteps of John Major and Prince Philip," the UK's Daily Mail reported at the time. "As it is, the Shultz party was said to have been littered with guests who had left the Grove in order to meet Mr. Blair."
The San Francisco Chronicle also reported that summer that Prime Minister Blair was rumored to be attending the festivities, which have long become a topic of debate and discussion of conspiracy theorists, largely due to the sheer elusiveness of an event that attracts high-profile men of power with a strict embargo on admitting the media.
"Less than a mile from us there are millionaires, billionaires, people who control the world, control the central banks, build nuclear weapons. This is their summer playground," Sonoma State University sociology professor Peter Phillips told RT in 2011. "We know for sure that Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan sat down and had conversation about who was going to run for president when and they made a deal." The Washington Post has even reported that a planning meeting for the Manhattan Project occurred at the grove in 1942, leading eventually to the creation of the atom bomb.
Since the list of attendees is kept under lock and key, only a confirmation from Powell or Blair themselves could verify whether or not the four star general did in fact convince the prime minister to attend last year's event.
In his email to RT, Guccifer signed with the signature, "illuminati free world."


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Tuberculosis (TB) Disease: Symptoms & Risk Factors
Tuberculosis (TB) is a disease caused by bacteria that are spread through the air from person to person. If not treated properly, TB disease can be fatal. People infected with TB bacteria who are not sick may still need treatment to prevent TB disease from developing in the future. Learn to recognize the symptoms of TB disease and find out if you are at risk.
Latent TB infection and TB disease
The bacteria that cause TB is spread through the air from person to person. The TB bacteria are put into the air when a person with TB disease coughs, sneezes, speaks, or sings. People nearby may breathe in these bacteria and become infected. There are two types of TB conditions: latent TB infectionand TB disease.
TB bacteria can live in the body without making you sick. This is called latent TB infection. In most people who breathe in TB bacteria and become infected, the body is able to fight the bacteria to stop them from growing. People with latent TB infection do not feel sick, do not have any symptoms, and cannot spread TB bacteria to others.
If TB bacteria become active in the body and multiply, the person will go from having latent TB infection to being sick with TB disease.
People with TB disease usually have symptoms and may spread TB bacteria to others.
TB bacteria most commonly grow in the lungs, and can cause symptoms such as:
- A bad cough that lasts 3 weeks or longer
- Pain in the chest
- Coughing up blood or sputum (mucus from deep inside the lungs)
Other symptoms of TB disease may include:
- Weakness or fatigue
- Weight loss
- No appetite
- Chills
- Fever
- Sweating at night
TB Risk Factors
Anyone can get TB , but people at high risk generally fall into two categories:
- People recently infected with TB bacteria
- People with medical conditions that weaken the immune system
You are at increased risk for being infected with TB bacteria if:
- You have spent time with a person with TB disease
- You are from a country or have visited areas where TB disease is very common
- You live or work where TB disease is more common, such as a homeless shelter, prison or jail, or long-term care facility
- You are a health-care worker who works with clients or patients who are at increased risk for TB disease
You have a higher chance of getting TB disease once infected if:
- You have HIV infection
- You are a child younger than 5 years of age
- You have recently been infected with TB bacteria in the last two years
- You have other health problems that make it hard for your body to fight disease
- You smoke cigarettes or abuse alcohol and/or drugs
- You were not treated correctly for latent TB infection or TB disease in the past
Eliminating TB in the United States
Millions of people in the United States have latent TB infection. Without treatment, they are at risk for developing TB disease. Treatment of latent TB infection is essential to controlling and eliminating TB in the United States. If you think you may have latent TB infection, TB disease, or were exposed to someone with TB disease, contact your health care provider or your TB control office. You and your health-care provider can discuss your options fortesting and treatment.


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On December 3, 1976, just before the Jamaican general election and two days before Bob Marley was to play the Smile Jamaica...
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Sim City will arrive in 2013 only on PC, with some level of mod support, and some level of awesome.
The new Sim City was officially unveiled a couple of weeks ago at Game Developers Conference accompanied by a teaser trailer. Apparently Will Wright, the original creator of Sim City, will not be involved with the project. A second video was released yesterday which outlines the simulation rules which govern gameplay. It is worth your time to see.
Looks like they have the Wright idea…
It appears as though Maxis has spent the majority of their development focus with their GlassBox engine on the interactions between aspects of the city. Buildings such as fire stations can be upgraded and resources such as coal and water are finite. It is up to you to not just manage your city, but have it properly laid out.
Towards the end of the GDC teaser, it was hinted that your city would neighbor others. While the game would be functional as a single player experience, within multiplayer your city influences its neighbors. Beware the trade winds.
The game will only be available on Microsoft Windows and will include some level of mod support. Employees at Maxis have claimed that they will use the same mod package format as The Sims and SimCity 4. It appears as though EA might be taking another stab at a pure PC title. I hope they do it well, and it serves them well.


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Members of the House are elected for a term of two years. The 435 seats in the House are apportioned among the fifty states by population, as determined by a decennial census. Members are elected from districts through a first past the post method. Consequently, disputes over the boundaries of the districts, which must be redrawn after each census, can be particularly contentious. Subject to constitutional requirements established by case law, and in some states to review by the United States Department of Justice to ensure compliance with the federal Voting Rights Act, the government of each state draws the boundaries for the House districts within the state's borders.
If a vacancy occurs in a House seat between elections, it may be filled only by a special election.
Presently the state delegations in the House range from fifty-three members for California, to one each for Alaska, Delaware, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming. There are also delegates without voting rights (except in committee votes) from the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Apportionment of House seats among the states changed slightly with the 108th Congress elected on November 5, 2002, which took office in January, 2003. That Congress, and the four that follow, have been reapportioned on the basis of the April 1, 2000, United States Census. (See complete apportionment numbers in United States Congress.)
The House is presided over by the Speaker of the House, who is elected from among the members. In matters of legislation it is essentially co-equal with the Senate, with the exception of the rule provided by the Constitution that all bills for raising revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives.
Because of the large size of the House of Representatives, much of the power of the House is in the committees. The House Committee on Rules is particularly powerful because each bill submitted to the floor of the house must have a rule assigned by the committee which limits the amount of debate and more importantly specifies what amendments can or cannot be allowed in the course of the debate. The rule approved by the Rules Committee is subject to acceptance or rejection by a vote of the full House.
Another important committee is the House Committee on Ways and Means which is responsible for taxation and is particularly powerful because of the constitutional requirement (in Article 1, Section 7) that bills raising revenue shall originate in the House. The House Committee on Appropriations is another important committee whose power derives from its ability to consider funding for government projects.
Unlike senators, most House members have little individual power, and typically will ally themselves in informal caucuses with other members from similar districts.
The House chamber is located in the north wing of the United States Capitol, in Washington, DC.
History In New York City on April 1, 1789 the House held its first quorum and elected Frederick Muhlenberg of Pennsylvania as the first House Speaker.
During the 108th Congress (2003-2005)
+ | Republicans: 229 | - | Independent: 1 (Bernie Sanders[?] (I-VT) is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America.) |
* | Democrats: 205 | + |
A Cable TV Viewer's Guide to the House Minding the House can be a rewarding experience for those with time to spare.
Since about 1980 or so, C-SPAN, the cable television network, has televised the House proceedings live. Also, the Official Reporters of Debates take down every word spoken on the House floor, and the heavily redacted transcripts of the proceedings can be found in the Congressional Record[?]. (The Congressional Record is also printed daily.)
The House, when in session, generally convenes at 12:00 Noon (Eastern Time) and continues until adjornment late in the day. The first thing one notices about the House chamber is that most of the seats in the chamber are empty most of the time. Most Members of Congress ("members") are usually busy attending committee meetings, working in their offices, or doing other things while the House is in session. If there is a floor vote, or a quorum call, the electronic voting system is activated and a sequence of bells rings throughout the House side of the Capitol and in the House office building complex. When the bells ring, members flock to the House floor, typically travelling the one-block distance from their offices by foot or by electric trolley. During the last few minutes of the 15 minutes usually allotted for an electronically recorded vote, the chamber fills with members and just as quickly empties again after the vote. It can be politically damaging at home if a member misses too many votes, and the political leadership therefore tries to schedule votes during times when members are likely to be around. Sometimes several votes are held all at once at the end of the day. Fridays usually mean short sessions, no sessions, and/or no votes. This is so that members who live on the other side of the country can fly home for the weekend. Members also have to punch in for quorum calls, which can be demanded by any member if (as is usually the case) fewer members than a quorum are present on the floor.
If the voting system is down, either the clerk calls the roll and members enunciate their votes, or a "teller" vote is held in which the members fill our red or green or yellow voting cards and give them to the clerk.
At 12:00 Noon, the Speaker walks into the chamber and gavels the House to order. The Chaplain, or some guest clergy member from someone's home district, offers a prayer. After the prayer, a period for "one-minute speeches" takes place. A member who wishes to give a one-minute speech is recognized by the Speaker: "For what purpose does the gentleman [gentlewoman] from [state] arise?" "I ask unanimous consent to address the House for one minute and to revise and extend my remarks." "Without objection, it is so ordered. The gentleman is recognized."
(If the Speaker of the House does not feel like presiding for whatever reason, he appoints a member of his party as Speaker Pro Tempore.)
Two things of note:
After the one minute speeches, the House might typically proceed to consider a "rule," or a resolution stating how much time is allotted to debate a particular bill. Rules are made by the Committee on Rules. (In the press, it is the House Rules Committee or the House [Blank] Committee, officially it is the Committee on [Blank].) A rule may provide that amendments to the bill are allowed (an "open rule") or restricted (a "closed rule").
A rule might say something like this:
House Resolution 999
"Resolved, that at any time after the adoption of this resolution the Speaker may declare the House resolved into the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union for consideration of the bill H.R. 9999, the [XXX] Act. General debate shall be confined to the bill and shall not exceed one hour equally divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on [XXX] . After general debate the bill shall be considered for amendment under the five-minute rule. At the conclusion of consideration of the bill for amendment the Committee shall rise and report the bill to the House with such amendments as may have been adopted. Any Member may demand a separate vote in the House on any amendment adopted in the Committee of the Whole to the bill. The previous question shall be considered as ordered on the bill and amendments thereto to final passage without intervening motion except one motion to recommit with or without instructions."
What all this means is, that the House first forms itself into the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union. When sitting as the Committee of the Whole, a quorum is 100 members instead of 218, and a limit of five minutes of debate are allowed for or against any specific amendment to the bill being considered. You can tell whether the House is convened as the House or the Committee of the Whole by noting the position of the Mace (the pole with the silver eagle on top which is situated on the left side of the Speaker's podium). If the Mace is placed atop its pedestal, the House is in session; if placed in a lower position, this means the Committee of the Whole is in session. (The Mace is not visible in the above photo of the House chamber, indicating that the House was not then in session.)
After all the amendments to the bill are voted on, and before the bill itself is voted on, there is usually a "motion to recommit" the bill back to the committee from whence it came (to kill the bill). The vote on a motion to recommit is usually more indicative of how Members really feel about a bill than the final vote on passage. Many members who are against a bill will vote for the motion to recommit and then vote to pass it once the vote to recommit is lost. That way they can tell the constituents back home about how they favored the legislation all along.
After the day's business, and before adjournment, there is a period called "special orders" during which members may reserve time, as much as an hour, to speak. There is nobody in the chamber at 8 P.M., but the cameras don't usually show the empty seats: the members can play to the C-SPAN audience, especially if the member's district is on Pacific time.
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Welcoming a host of beauty industry attendees, the CEW named the winners of the 2012 Beauty Insiders' Choice Awards at its Beauty Awards luncheon on Friday, May 18, at the Waldorf=Astoria in New York and hosted by Sex and the City actor Mario Cantone.
The CEW Beauty Insiders' Choice Awards were created to promoted innovation in the beauty industry to consumers by recognizing the best beauty products of the year, and this year's winners are being offered at and promoted by mass and prestige retailers, as well as QVC.
The winners of the 2012 Beauty Insiders' Choice Awards include:
- Acne Treatment: Kate Somerville Skin Care 24-hour Pimple Punisher
- Anti-Aging, Mass: L'Oréal Paris Youth Code Serum Intense
- Anti-Aging, Prestige: Shiseido Cosmetics America Future Solution LX Ultimate Regenerating Serum
- Bath and Body, Mass: Burt's Bees Richly Replenishing Cocoa & Cupuaçu Butters Body Lotion
- Bath and Body, Prestige: Shiseido Cosmetics America Replenishing Body Cream
- Cleanser & Scrub: Fresh Sugar Lip Polish
- Eco Beauty Award: Neutrogena Naturals Purifying Facial Cleanser
- Eye Product, Mass: L'Oréal Paris Voluminous False Fiber Lashes Mascara
- Eye Product, Prestige: Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara
- Eye Treatment, Mass: Garnier Ultra-lift Anti-wrinkle Eye Roller
- Eye Treatment, Prestige: Estée Lauder Idealist Cooling Eye Illuminator
- Face Product, Mass: Maybelline New York Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles Treatment Concealer
- Face Product, Prestige: Smashbox Cosmetics Photo Finish Hydrating Foundation Primer
- Hair Care Product: Ojon Instant Restorative Hair Serum
- Hair Coloring Product: Rita Hazan New York Temporary Color Root Concealer
- Hair Styling Product: Bumble and Bumble Bb. Texture
- Indie Beauty Award: Supergoop!
- Lip Product, Mass: CoverGirl Blast FlipStick
- Lip Product, Prestige: Fresh Sugar Passion Tinted Lip Treatment SPF 15
- Men's Grooming: Lab Series Skincare for Men Max LS Overnight Renewal Serum
- Men's Scent: John Varvatos Star USA
- Moisturizer, Mass: RoC Multi Correxion Lift Anti-gravity Day Moisturizer with SPF 30
- Moisturizer, Prestige: StriVectin TL Tightening Neck Cream
- Nail Product: Sally Hansen Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips
- Sun Product: Neutrogena Wet Skin Sunblock Spray SPF 50
- Women's Scent, Mass: Coty Beauty Heidi Klum Shine
- Women's Scent, Prestige: Prada Candy Eau de Parfum Spray
- Best Seller, Mass: Sally Hansen Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips
- Best Seller, Department Store: Lancôme Visionnaire (LR2412) Advanced Skin Corrector
Visit the CEW website for more information on the awards, and peruse all this year's award nominees in each category. Also, check out the winners from the CEW (UK) 2012 Beauty Awards.


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Material: Stainless Steel + Foam Handle
Color: As the picture show
Shortest length:55.5cm/21.8″
Longest length:100cm/39.3″
Package Includes:
You can choose
1 x Split Leg Extension Machine
Or 1 x Split Leg Extension Machine +1 x Tied Rope+2 x Replaceable foam handle
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This was published 9 years ago
World's worst pirates and their parents face walking the plank
By Mahesh Sharma and Ben Grubb
Attorney-General George Brandis has heralded the end of a golden era for online piracy in Australia, declaring Australia the "worst offender" in the world.
Governments everywhere are legislating limits to the distribution of illegally sourced songs and movies to help copyright holders promote, and protect, their legitimate content sales.
Senator Brandis is working with Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull to formulate a crackdown in which a number of options are under consideration, technology publication ZDNet revealed.
When the New Zealand government introduced online anti-piracy measures, similar to those being considered here, what followed was some unknowing parents were shocked to receive fines for thousands of dollars .
It is the internet account holders who are ultimately responsible – even though it may have been the kids who were sharing pirated music produced by the likes of Rihanna, Ke$ha, and Lady Gaga. Under New Zealand's "three strikes" law, internet service providers are required to issue offenders with two warnings before a tribunal levies financial penalties.
The New Zealand Copyright Tribunal has secured 17 successful decisions on behalf of copyright holders since the law's introduction in September 2011, clawing back an average of $500 per song, such as Jason Derulo's It Girl.
Australian Internet users, service providers, and file-sharing websites have been put on notice. But some argue insufficient attention is being paid to the needs of local TV and movie audiences keen to keep up with digital pop culture.
"Australia, I'm sorry to say, is the worst offender of any country in the world when it comes to [online] piracy, and I am very concerned that the legitimate rights and interests of rights holders and content creators are being compromised by that activity," Senator Brandis said recently in Senate estimates hearings in Canberra. "We want to do something about that."
Though the Abbott government has been tight-lipped on the detail of its plans, in February Senator Brandis in a speech proposed blocking websites that host pirated content and introducing "graduated warnings" that internet providers could send users on behalf of rights holders – who already monitor services that facilitate file-sharing.
Simon Bush of the Australian Home Entertainment Distributors Association, which represents the $1 billion Australian film and TV home entertainment industry, does not support a scheme which fines or disconnects internet customers. He instead prefers the "logical solution" of sending warning notices and slowing down repeat offenders' internet connections.
"If you get a 15-year-old or a 24-year-old who loves downloading [pirated] movies and you throttle their service, that's like social hell for them," he said. "So that could be enough of an incentive."
Music Rights Australia general manager Vanessa Hutley wouldn't say what type of a graduated response scheme she would like to see in Australia, but also ruled out disconnection and fines.
The crux of the issue is fair, timely and affordable access. Locally, the wildly popular Game of Thrones TV series became a martyr for the cause when the most recent episodes could not be purchased via the iTunes store because of HBO's exclusive broadcast agreement with Foxtel – forcing fans to subscribe to pay TV to stay up-to-date.
Popular American comedian Louis CK observed the access issue first-hand during a recent trip to Australia, when he found that there was a loyal following of his show "Louie", despite the fact it doesn't air locally. Without a viable option to buy or access the shows quickly and affordably, he said his fans (understandably) resorted to piracy.
"[In America] only weirdos pirate, there's not that many people that pirate. But in Australia mums and dads pirate video because we're not letting them buy it," Louis told radio station Sirius XM.
"Everyone in the world is like: 'Take my f--king credit card and let me just have the thing! But if you're going to be a pain in the ass, f--k you! I can steal all of it!'"
AHEDA's Mr Bush pointed to the introduction of France's HADOPI law in 2009, which resulted in a 70 per cent change in the behaviour of former pirates who subsequently purchased content after they received their first warning notice about pirating.
However, the French abandoned the scheme last July, in favour of blocking access to sites hosting pirated content. The government also found the scheme was financially unsound: 12 million euros were spent to prosecute 134 cases, which could garner a maximum fine of 1500 euros each.
The impact of "graduated response" schemes in developed countries such as New Zealand, France, and the United States, was evaluated by Dr Rebecca Giblin, law professor at Monash University. They failed to reduce infringement, maximise authorised uses, or promote learning and culture, she said, and should be reconsidered.
This view was supported by Kate Duckworth, partner at New Zealand intellectual property law firm Catalyst, who said there was a need for more education if rights enforcers want to reduce the occurrence of file-sharing. In one case, Duckworth demonstrated the enforcement tribunal hadn't supplied an internet account holder with sufficient warnings, causing the case to be dropped.
Whether the Australian government will go as far as disconnecting users from the internet remains unclear. The Attorney-General's office only said the government was "actively considering a range of options" to tackle online piracy.
"No decision has been made."


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Your picturesque river cruise begins on the Rhine River in Basel, Switzerland. You'll sail to Breisach, with your choice of a guided tour of charming Colmar, or an excursion to the Black Forest. Sail to the city of Strasbourg, France, along the way and find out how its inhabitants are proud of their beers. Sail to Rüdesheim and through the spectacular Rhine Gorge. The modern and charming city of Frankfurt is also on your route along the Rhine, and you'll sail on the Main River to visit an authentic Main river village on your way to Würzburg. Take a guided tour of Bamberg located in Germany's brewing heartland, before reaching Nuremberg. A Beer Expert will travel with you on this cruise and will held lectures, tasting and will introduce you to food and beer pairing for your enjoyment and the education of beer enthusiasts. Your grand cruise of Germany brings the beauty and charm of its cities and villages to life. From Switzerland to Bavaria and beyond, your German vacation will stay a beautiful memory for years to come!
City Highlights
Day 1 Basel (Embarkation): onboard welcome reception Day 2 Breisach. Excursion to Black Forest: choice of excursion to Black Forest, or guided tour in Colmar Day 3 Strasbourg: guided tour, visit to La Petite France district and the gothic cathedral, local beer tasting; onboard beer lectureDay 4 Rüdesheim–Rhine Gorge–Boppard: choice of visit to Siegfried's Mechanical Musical Instrument Museum, or cable car ride to the Niederwald Monument in Rüdesheim; special treat; scenic cruising through the Rhine Gorge; time at leisure in BoppardDay 5 Frankfurt: onboard beer tasting; choice of guided tour in Frankfurt, or guided tour in SeligenstadtDay 6 Main River Village: guided walking tour, onboard food and beer pairing dinner Day 7 Würzburg: guided tour, visit to the Bishop's Residenz, taste a local beerDay 8 Bamberg: guided tour, see the Old Town Hall; visit a malt factory or a hop gardenDay 9 Nuremberg (Disembarkation): your vacation ends this morning
In the event of water level problems or any problems of a technical nature, it may be necessary to operate the itinerary by motorcoach or to alter the program.Included visits and special features are subject to change. If a change is necessary, a substitute will be offered.Please check visa requirements with your local consulate(s); responsibility for obtaining visas rests with the traveler.


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Geology of Alicante
The Geology of Alicante Province The rich and varied geology of Alicante province is a result […]
Here's a summary of our most recent posts.
The Geology of Alicante Province The rich and varied geology of Alicante province is a result […]
With so many destinations for walking holidays in Spain that it is difficult to know […]
Birds and butterflies of the Marina Baixa One of the questions I am often asked […]
Perhaps one of Spain's most outstanding regions for hiking the Picos de Europa has a […]
Activate your listing now and get your walking holidays on page 1 of Google for the most frequently used search term "walking holidays in Spain". You can find us by searching for "walking holidays in Spain" in Google, use an Incognito window to avoid Google personalising search results.
Walking-holidays-in-spain.com is the only directory dedicated exclusively to walking holidays in Spain.
Add full information and good quality photos to make your listing stand out and drive customers directly to your website. You don't pay travel agency or tour operator commissions and the directory is much cheaper than Adwords, so maximise your profile.
This directory is exclusively for companies offering walking holidays in Spain. You may list your business if it does not yet appear in the directory and offers walking as an activity (see below for how-to). Companies based in Spain must be registered in the appropriate regional register governing tourism, have an IVA number and an active website.
Please note that your listing must include at least one region and one walking service, we recommend you include as many categories as possible to avoid being missed in searches. You may alter the number of categories, add tags and any other details you wish.
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List of search terms for walking services.
Books and Maps
Camino de Santiago
English Way
French Way
Portuguese Way
Spanish Way
Day Walks
Centred walking
Nordic Walking
Self Guided
Self guided centred
Self guided two centre
Self guided three centre
Self guided information
Tailor made
Guided trekking
Self guided trekking
List of search terms for Autonomous Regions.
Andalucia (Andalusia)
Balearic Islands
Formentera, Ibiza, Mallorca, Menorca (Minorca)
Canary Islands
El Hierro, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, La Gomera, La Palma, Lanzarote
Castilla La Mancha
Castilla y Leon (Castile and Leon)
Catalunya (Catalonia)
La Rioja
Navarra (Navarre)
Pais Vasco (Basque Country)
Please note, The English spelling in of regions is given in brackets for information only. Use the Spanish spelling with search terms separated by a comma and a space. eg Andalucia, guided walking, day walks.
Search terms for walking areas.
Costa Blanca
Picos de Europa
Sierra Nevada.


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Tuesday, March 24th, 2009Today we have a guest writer, Wesley (no, not that Wesley, the South African Wesley). He thinks that we need a new word. Judge for yourselves. The test of a word's mettle is, of course, usage. Let' see if it catches on. Here is what he says:
There is not a word in this universe that exposes and recognises world class achievements and signifies creative achievement especially in the world of crowdsourcing. This is why 'springleap' was coined and is applied to anyone who is able to leap significantly, where an individual shifts from a low point to a high point in his or her career through talent search competitions such as Idols, The Apprentice, Americas Next Top Model, Threadless, etc. So we ask that you help us get this proudly South African initiative out there worldwide.
The word describes the entrance into the world of talent recognition through gaining exposure from entering a competition to determine a specific outcome. Furthermore a majority vote is then made by a crowdsourcing network or panel of judges for the winner or winners.
Among those at the forefront offering the platform to springleap are Donald Trump (The Apprentice), Tyra Banks (Americas Next Top Model), Jake Nickell and Jacob DeHart (Threadless), Robbo Bennets (Wipe Out), John Boswell (Survivor), Simon Fuller (American Idol), John de Mol (Big Brother) and Dave Broome (The Biggest Loser).
I must admit this word is shorter than "skyrocket to fame".


text:
Pine Tree Yields Longest Genome Ever Sequenced
Scientists say they've generated the longest genome sequence to date, unraveling the genetic code of the loblolly pine tree.
Conifers have been around since the age of the dinosaurs, and they have some of the biggest genomes of all living things.
Native to the U.S. Southeast, the loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) can grow over 100 feet (30 meters) tall and has a lengthy genome to match, with 23 billion base pairs. That's more than seven times the size of the human genome, which has 3 billion base pairs. (These pairs form sequences called genes that tell cells how to make proteins.)
"It's a huge genome. But the challenge isn't just collecting all the sequence data. The problem is assembling that sequence into order," study researcher David Neale, a professor of plant sciences at the University of California, Davis, said in a statement.
To simplify this huge genetic puzzle, Neale and colleagues assembled most of the sequence from part of a single pine nut— a haploid part of the seed with just one set of chromosomes to piece together.
The new research showed that the loblolly genome is bloated with repetitive DNA. In fact, 82 percent of the genome repeats itself, the researchers say.
Understanding the loblolly pine's genetic code could lead to improved breeding of the tree, which is used to make paper and lumber and is being investigated as a potential biofuel, the scientists say.
The loblolly pine joins other recently sequenced conifers, including the Norway spruce (Picea abies), which has 20 billion base pairs. For their next project, the researchers are eyeing the sugar pine, a tree with 35 billion base pairs.
The research was detailed this week in the journals Genetics and Genome Biology.
Follow Megan Gannon on Twitter and Google+. Follow us @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on LiveScience.
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